Seven Kittens
by Riverwillows
Summary: When The RumTumTugger sang about Magical Mister Mistofelees, he neglected to mention one very important item...
1. Chapter 1

_It was cold. And dark. He was shivering. He couldn't see around him very well, but felt the wind, and snow falling softly on his fur. He was hanging by his scruff, in a warm, gentle mouth. He smelled his mother, and knew she was carrying him. He heard distant noises of what his dreaming self recognized as car engines. He was being carried across a busy street. As they approached the other side he smelled seven other kittens, huddled and shivering not too away. His mother was moving her litter of eight kits to hopefully a warmer space. One by one, he was the last. Suddenly, there was a screech, a horn honked, and he went flying through the air. He landed in the gutter, and was knocked out. _

Mistofelees woke up mewing and panting. That dream again. He was almost grown, yet he still had that dream every so often. He remembered nothing after that until he woke up nestled against the queen he would come to know as his foster mom, Demeter, nursing and cuddled against her warmth. The large grey tom he knew as Munkustrap told him he had found him barely alive in the gutter. Munkustrap had been on one of his patrols, when he had heard the noise in the street just outside the junkyard, and went to investigate. There he had found a queen cat lying dead in the street, and nearby, seven freezing kittens. He tried to save them but he was too late, one by one they died from the intense winter cold. He sorrowfully turned away and was heading back toward his patrol when he heard a small mew. Looking closely, he saw a black and white tux kitten, smaller than the others, barely alive in the gutter, it's fur coloring making it nearly invisible in the dark. He had grabbed him, and rushed him back to the yard, and sought out his favorite mate, who had just given birth herself.

Mistofelees lay back and tried to calm himself. He was glad he had survived but knowing he had blood siblings and a mom who loved him once always made him sad and wistful. He had always wondered why he, the runt and weakest, had survived, and not his more robust brothers and sisters. Sighing, he closed his eyes and willed himself back to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"Come on, Tug, you know I don't like too much attention!"

The RumTumTugger grinned. "Yeah,

I know, Misto, but you are GOOD! And a good magician needs a little flash in his outfit."

Mistofelees sighed at his friend. "I'm not THAT good, I still can't control things very well".

"You just need more confidence." The Maine Coon stated firmly. "And a flashy outfit will help that."

Mistofelees held up his paws. "Ok, ok, so, what do you have in mind then?"

They were in a remote part of the junkyard, where Mistofelees often went to practice his magic. Tugger often like to come along, and watch but he was the only one the shy Mistofelees allowed to do so. Tugger, tho older, was his best friend, and the most supportive of his unusual powers.

"I mean, look how impressive you'll be at the Ball!" Tugger circled his friend, looking him up and down. " Ok, first we need a cape. All good magicians need a swirling black cape. And a hat."

The idea made Mistofelees grin. "Ok, genius, just how do we get those things?"

Tugger frowned. "Well, I did see some black fabric back over there a ways" Tugger pointed behind them. "I can get Jenny or Jelly to make you a cape out of that".

Mistofelees started to warm to the idea. " A cape may be hard to dance in, but maybe a jacket? You know, I can rig up some lights on it to make it more flashy!"

Tugger whooped. "Yeah! That would be so cool! Now a hat..." He paused thoughfully, then snapped his claws. "I know just the thing, hang on!" He darted out of sight behind some old furnature, and came back a few seconds later, with an old dusty dark brown fedora. "This will be perfect! Not in too bad a shape either!"

Mistofelees took the hat doubtfully. It was way too big, being sized for a human, but he didn't have to wear it, he thought. Just wave it around, maybe use it for a trick or two. "Ok, I guess this can work."

Tugger shook his mane and strutted. "See, I told you! You will be a hit! Hey, lets see you do something cool, like pull a rabbit out of the hat. It's almost lunchtime and I'm getting hungry!" 

Shaking his head and laughing, the little tux said "And when are you never? Ok, ok...let's see..." He put the hat down on the ground, concentrated, and when his paws started to sparkle, waved them over the hat and yelled "PRESTO!"

Tugger came over and peered into the hat. "Aw, no rabbit...WAIT!" He looked astonished at his friend. "Oh Benevolent Cat, what did you DO? "

Mistofelees frowned and looked into the hat. What he saw floored him. There, nestled in the hat, were seven tiny kittens, all with black and white markings similar to his own. He sat down on his haunches, shocked and bewildered. "I..don't know!" he whispered.

Tugger knelt down and picked up one of them. It was a boy, and mewled at him. "These are practically newborn! And..." he sniffed the youngling. "...they smell a lot like YOU!" Still holding the kitten, he looked wide eyed at his friend. "What does that mean?"

But Mistofelees knew what it meant. It was impossible, it couldn't be, but it had to be! The evidence was right there! "Tug.." he said urgently "...go find Munk. He needs to see this!"

"But Misto...!" Tug began. The black tux shook his head. "Just DO it, Tug, ok? NOW!"

Without another word, Tugger bolted off towards the center of the yard. Mistofelees bent over the hat, and lifting each of the kittens gently, inspected them one by one. 2 boys, 5 girls. All looking like him, smelling like him and...their mother. He closed his eyes, remembering that scent. Did he really bring back his siblings? Munk said they all died. Except for him. He gathered them all up, and cuddled them gently, not realizing the tears that flowed down his whiskers. 


	3. Chapter 3

When Tugger came back with Munkustrap in tow, Mistofelees was still cuddling the kittens, though the tears had dried up. There was a look of peace on his face. Munkustrap stopped short and stared at the kittens. "Tugger told me, but...I didn't believe it!" He said, amazed at what he saw.

Mistofelees looked up and said "They are my siblings right? You saw them that night, these are them, right?"

Munk looked each kitten over carefully, noting their scent, their markings, and nodded his head. "I don't know how you did it, my son, but you somehow managed to bring them back!"

Tugger said "They are barely newborn! We need to get them fed and warm soon!"

Munk nodded. "And I know just who to take them to...Renatina." Renatina was Jellylorum's older daughter, who had just given birth two days ago, but her two kittens were stillborn. She spent most of her time with her mom Jelly, in a grieving stupor, her teats still heavy with unclaimed milk.

Mistofelees smiled and nodded and said "Perfect! This will help both her and them!" Then he frowned. "Munk, Tugger, please, don't tell anyone where they came from yet. I will tell them later, when they are older, ok? Let them just be foundling kittens for now."

Both toms nodded. Munk smiled gently and said "Of course, that would probably be best." He turned to pick up the hat, then turned back and looked at Mistofelees with speculation. "This...this is a miracle, young Misto. I wonder what else you may be capable of? Someday, you'll show us, hmm?"

Smiling, he picked up the brim of the hat in his mouth, and, being very careful not to spill out the kittens, they walked slowly back to the junkyard.

Later that night, Mistofelees lay in his den, and thought about the newest members of the tribe. They were safe now with Renatina, her joy at her new adopted kits breaking thru the wall of grief that had consumed her til now. He would see them often, and be the big brother they deserved. And someday, when they were older, someday he would tell them a most wonderful story. The tux tom smiled, and feeling calm and fully at peace, closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep. And he never had that dream ever again.


End file.
